An Illustrated History of British GuianaRichardson and Company, 1866 - 265 pages |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
14 SCHOMBURGK's Amazon animal appearance arrow banks bark beautiful belly Berbice Berbice river bird body branches British Guiana brown called canoe Caribs cassava cataract Cayman chiefly coast colony colour corial cotton Court of Policy creek cultivation DALTON Demerara Demerara river Dorado eggs El Dorado Esmeralda Essequibo expedition fall feathers feed feet long fish forests frequently fruit Georgetown Governor granite green habits head height hundred Immigration inches Indians inhabitants insects Interior of Guiana International Exhibition 1862 islands Jabiru Jaguar labour land larvæ leaves legs length Macusis miles Monkey Moruca mound mountains mouth native nature nest Orinoco palm Paramu Parima Pirara plants plumage poison RALEIGH remarkable resembling Rio Negro river rocks Roraima round Rupununi savannahs seen side Sloth snake Spaniards species spot sugar tail thick tree tribe TUMULUS vegetable village Warramuri Warraus WATERTON wild wings wood yellow
Popular passages
Page 199 - Suppose yourself in hopeless sorrow, begin with a high loud note, and pronounce "ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha," each note lower and lower, till the last is scarcely heard, pausing a moment or two betwixt every note, and you will have some idea of the moaning of the largest goat-sucker in Demerara.
Page 190 - Whip-poor-Will,' from the goatsucker, causes such astonishment as the toll of the campanero. "With many of the feathered race, he pays the common tribute of a morning and an evening song ; and even when the meridian sun has shut in silence the mouths of almost the whole of animated nature, the campanero still cheers the forest. You hear his toll, and then a pause for a minute, then another toll, and then a pause again, and then a toll, and again a pause.
Page 23 - ... passed already, the king having under his broad seal, " made you admiral of your fleet, and given you power of " the martial law over your officers and soldiers.
Page 22 - I never saw a more beautiful country, nor more lively prospects, hills so raised here and there over the valleys, the river winding into divers branches, the plains adjoining without...
Page 161 - As soon as there was light enough, I went to his hammock, and saw it much stained with blood. "There," said he, thrusting his foot out of the hammock, " see how these infernal imps have been drawing my life's blood." On examining his foot, I found the vampire had tapped his great toe: there was a wound somewhat less than that made by a leech ; the blood was still oozing from it; I conjectured he might have lost from ten to twelve ounces of blood.
Page 161 - The various terrors of that horrid shore; Those blazing suns that dart a downward ray, And fiercely shed intolerable day; Those matted woods where birds forget to sing. But silent bats in drowsy clusters cling...
Page 134 - The trade-wind generally sets in about ten o'clock in the morning, and thus the sloth may set off after breakfast, and get a considerable way before dinner. He travels at a good round pace; and were you to see him pass from tree to tree, as I have done, you would never think of calling him a sloth.
Page xvii - Returning suns and double seasons f pass: Rocks rich in gems, and mountains big with mines, That on the high equator ridgy rise, Whence many a bursting stream auriferous plays : Majestic woods, of every vigorous green, Stage above stage, high waving o'er the hills ; Or to the far horizon wide diffus'd, A boundless deep immensity of shade.
Page 142 - I would be cautious, and not get myself worried : and apologising for his own want of resolution. My Indian was now in conversation with the others, and they asked if I would allow them to shoot a dozen arrows into him, and thus disable him. This would have ruined all. I had come above three hundred miles on purpose to get a Cayman uninjured, and not to carry back a mutilated specimen. I rejected their proposition with firmness, and darted a disdainful eye upon the Indians. Daddy QUASHI was again...
Page 134 - ... a neighbouring tree ; he then proceeded towards the heart of the forest. I stood looking on, lost in amazement at his singular mode of progress. I followed him with my eye till the intervening branches closed in betwixt us ; and then I lost sight for ever of the two-toed Sloth. I was going to add, that I never saw a Sloth take to his heels in such earnest ; but the expression will not do, for the Sloth has no heels.